This invention relates to games nets and more particularly to games frames therefor having resilient connecting means for joining together structural members of the frames.
Games nets in various forms are widely used in both professional and amateur sports activities. Moreover, similar games nets of a less durable nature are commonly used in various amusement games activities, notably hockey.
A recognized problem in professional hockey is the fact that injuries frequently occur as a result of players being driven into or accidently falling against the frame of a goal net. In order to prevent such injuries hockey goal frames of a type having net support members which yield under impact have been proposed. Two such structures are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,449,708, and 2,525,304. The former Patent describes a hockey goal structure having a coil spring wrapped around a pair of rigid end supports which are pivotally joined together. In this structure, the coil spring returns the rigid supports to an upright position in the event that such supports are buckled about the pivot joint when struck as by a falling player. One apparent problem with this structure is that this buckling action occurs only when an impact blow is delivered from a frontal direction. In the event that a player should strike the goal structure from a rearward direction or from one side the goal will not buckle. The latter patent is directed to a hockey goal structure having rigid supporting members wherein the entire structure tends to collapse on impact. The original form of the structure is restored through the use of fluid-filled shock absorbers and return springs. An apparent problem with this structure is the fact that the goal net will not collapse with equal ease when receiving omnidirectional impacts. Moreover, the structure tends to be complicated and therefore expensive to manufacture.
The foregoing hockey goals tend to be unsuitable for use in entertainment games for children by reason of the complexity in assembling such structures and primarily because of the cost factor which tends to make such goals prohibitively expensive as games devices. As a result, the goals commonly used by children at play do not provide safety features of a type in which the frame will resiliently collapse on impact. Accordingly, children are required to rely upon pads, helmets and like shock absorbing gear for protection. It is apparent therefore that unless children's games activities are rigorously supervised, it is likely that serious injuries may occur should a child accidently fall into or be pushed against a hockey goal frame that is rigidly assembled and which may be fixedly attached to a games court or ice rink.